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Remembering the King of Pop: Top 10 hits. as voted by TEENS
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
He was an iconic image with a career spanning more than four decades. Despite recent controversy which made him seem only a shadow of his former self, the late King of Pop will always be remembered as "legendary", "phenomenal" and "one of the greatest".
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No one can dispute the awe-inspiring talent of Michael Jackson who had the uncanny ability to transcend races and generations, bringing people together with his thrilling and gravity-defying dance moves and his lyrically ingenious and creative songs.
Dubbed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", it is no wonder why his sudden death has sparked such an unprecedented global reaction arguably comparable to the death of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
TEENage polled several TEENS to find out their favourite Michael Jackson hits and trust me to narrow it down to top 10 was a difficult task as so many hits were brought to the fore, a testament to M.J's greatness. However the top ten as voted by TEENS like you are as follows:
10 You Are Not Alone: Co-produced by R Kelly and Michael Jackson this song was the second single on what would be MJ's penultimate album HIStory, released in 1995. The video featured Michael's then wife, Lisa Marie Presley and was a commercial success being the first song in history to debut at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
9 Bad: Released in 1987 on Jackson's third solo album Bad, the song was a commercial success and was Jackson's seventh number-one single overall. The song was initially intended to be a duet with Prince, but Prince denied the offer stating that the song "would be a hit without (him)".
8 Man in the Mirror: Jackson was famous for his social commentary which was evident in this single. Believed to be one of his greatest hits Man in the Mirror held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks after its release in the spring of 1988. Nominated for Record of the Year at the 1988 Grammy Awards, the song regained prominence at Michael's passing, reaching number one on iTunes store download charts the day after his death.
7 Black or White: A mix of hard rock, dance and hip hop, Black and White was a song about racial unity from Michael's Dangerous album, released in November 1991. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and in 19 other countries.
6 Remember The Time: A popular song off Michael's Dangerous album, the song is remembered for its music video, set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Magic Johnson and Iman. Remember the Time received a Soul Train Award for Best Male R&B Single.
5 Dirty Diana: The fifth and last number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from his 1987 album Bad. There were many speculations as to whom the Diana in the song referred to with many believing it to be his friend Diana Ross or Princess Diana. In a later interview, Quincy Jones who co-produced the song along side Jackson, confirmed that it was about groupies and not a specific Diana.
4 Beat It: Released on February 14, 1983, as Thriller's third single. The song was extremely successful, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. Both Billie Jean and Beat It occupied Top Five positions at the same time, a feat matched by very few artistes. One of the most lauded songs in history, Beat It was certified platinum in 1989. The song received two Grammy award and two American Music award and its video was also a tremendous hit.
3 Smooth Criminal: From the1987 album Bad, this song has become one of MJ's most popular songs. The most memorable feature is undoubtedly the anti-gravity lean that Jackson and his dancers in the video did and replicated live onstage. The video won best Music video at the 1989 Brit Award.
2 Billie Jean: Who can think Michael Jackson without remembering the distinctive Billie Jean baseline and Jackson's vocal hiccups? From the 1982 album Thriller, Billie Jean was a global commercial and critical success becoming one of the best selling singles on 1983. It was written off of Jackson's real-life experience when a mentally ill lady claimed that Jackson fathered one of her twins. The song went on to win two Grammys, one American Music award and an induction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. It was also the first Black video to be aired on MTV.
1 Thriller: Okay, be honest. haven't we all at some point in our lives tried to do the Thriller dance? Thriller revolutionised music videos. The album still holds the record for the highest selling album in the world. The song's 14-minute music video is regarded by MTV as the greatest music video of all time and the song remains popular even to this day as evidenced by sales of over 1,159,000 digital downloads in the US alone. Thriller, the album, is without a doubt one of the greatest albums of all time and Thriller the song one of the greatest records created.
In life he was a legend and in death his legacy will live on. TEENage would like to thank all those TEENs who participated in our poll. We also take this time to pay homage to Michael who in his own words was "Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight. Here one day gone one night". A true legendary performer whose influence was timeless. Gone too Soon.
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